Emily rushes to me and grasps hold of my hand. "Lucy, I don't want to be here. Send me back to Underlund. I don't know why I agreed."

I don't fight her and don't blame her. She had some traumatizing experiences here and it's understandable. "It's okay, no one will hurt you here. I think Alvar already wants to make sure those who brought you here are punished."

"So, you going to do it with him tonight, then?" Emily asks, changing the subject to something quite different. Something positively inappropriate.

"Um-" I blink.

"Lucy, I saw how you stuck with him the entire time we rode to the Sky Wave, don't tell me you're not planning that tonight's the night," Emily says, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No way," I growl. "So just stop."

We're being led by Remora and her gobli guards down a narrow tunnel into the earth. It's so dark down here. My blood turns cold. Why can't I get rid of this suspicion that something terrible is about to happen? Like we're being dragged down into a pit of death.

"I am going to ask Alvar to get you back to Earth so you can resume a normal life and be with your family and those you know again," I tell her.

"Oh, you are, are you?" Emily snorts. "But you're not coming back are you? You know, Mike, probably misses you."

"Yes, and I feel bad about that, but... I'm here to save our world, Emily."

"Save our world? You don't think our militaries are strong enough to protect us? I don't know why I'm talking to you and I don't know why I'm willingly here in Ferar again," Emily mutters. "Waste of my time, and you're a terrible friend."

She falls back in our group to batt eyes at Grey again.

"Has she always talked to you in this condescending way?" Alvar asks me, motioning his head back at Emily.

"It hasn't always been so whiny, but it's understandable-her wanting to go back-I want to send her back so she can be with her family again," I say. "If you could do that for me, it would mean a lot."

Alvar considers me. "I will see if it can be arranged, but you know the dangers of it."

"You did plenty of travel to Earth the week that you went to claim me as your queen," I figure aloud.

"Well, that was before I learned something." Alvar sighs.

Uh-oh. "Learned what?"

"I'll tell you tonight, in our bed chambers."

Oh. We're sleeping in the same bed again?

"Lucy, there is something I've been meaning to ask you," Alvar says. We enter a hall lit by torches and the sound of drums shakes the walls of the caverns.

"Yes?"

"Why did you decide to come to my chambers?"

"I wanted to talk. Ask you about a few things," I begin and shrug. "I'm afraid I'm just too curious."

"I don't think you're too curious, you're just the right amount of inquisitive." Alvar smiles, but then as if a thought strikes away the warmth his smile disappears and he grows serious, "But some doors are best left closed."

"What do you mean by that?" I'm not going to let him stay mysterious. I want to know the truth. I'm becoming immersed in this new world and for some reason I need to embrace it and learn as much as I can about him. My husband. I focus on his scar. He'd said someone had given it to him at the age of seventeen because of his handsome appearance. What a terrible thing. Maybe... maybe he'll tell me more about it. Or maybe, I look to his Mystar, I can look into his past myself and see what had happened.

"Why do you keep eyeing the Mystar, Lucy?" Alvar asks.

I lower my gaze immediately. "I just... I can't wrap my head around what I saw, Alvar. I saw into your memories. It's something that never happens to anyone on Earth."

"Lucy, I must request of you not to look again into the Mystar. My memories are almost all... disturbing. The only good ones I have are of Triss and I. And as you may well imagine, it wouldn't be right for you to look at such things. Intimate times between my deceased wife and I should remain private and unseen by your eyes."

"Do you look at those memories ever?" I ask, then add, "The good ones of you and Triss?"

"I used to..." Alvar's voice trails and I know his mind travels to a time long past. "But I realized if I am to move on and begin a life with a new wife I can't drown myself in them. I miss my Triss, but I cannot bring her back. And no matter how many times I relive our memories we'll never make a new memory together. Someday I hope to see her again in paradise, but even then, I doubt I'll make it in," He pauses and his brow furrows with painful thought. "Not after all I've done," he adds in such a quiet voice I can barely hear it.

"You are a much better person than you give yourself credit for, I think," I whisper softly.

Our conversation is interrupted by Remora's booming voice, "Behold, the entrance to the city of Goblia."

We approach the edge of an enormous pit with ridges of staircases built along the interior sides of it leading down to dimly lit city. All buildings are made of rock and mud. A giant pool of water sits in the middle of the subterranean city. On further inspection I realize there is not a single railing in sight and if I were to slip on one of the narrow stairs carved out of the stone I'd fall hundreds of feet to my death. I swallow and try to steady myself. I'm not good with heights. Not at all. I grip Alvar's arm.

"What's the matter?" Alvar asks.

"I think I'm going to faint," I whisper in his ear. "I'm terrible with heights."

"Oh, is that all?" Alvar chuckles.

"Excuse me?" I'm appalled. He finds my fear amusing, does he?

"I'm sorry, Lucy, but you're grasping hold of the arm of a man whom in a moment's notice could sprout enormous wings and fly you to safety," Alvar whispers back. He rests his hand on mine and pats it. "You have nothing to fear, my queen."

All the same, I let him take the outer edge of the path as we journey downward into Goblia.